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By: Fern Sidman

On Monday evening at Manhattan’s Gotham Hall, a true Kiddush Hashem took place as thousands of supporters of Brooklyn’s Shaare Tzion Torah Center gathered for a fundraiser to provide assistance to the growing number of men and boys in the Sephardic Jewish community who have committed themselves to regular Torah study.

The event, known as “Moments IV” featured such well loved and prominent rabbis in the community as Rabbi David Haber, who served as the evening’s emcee along with  Rabbi David Sutton and Rabbi David Ozeri, among others. Moreover, a panoply internationally renowned musical performers brought the audience to their feet as they sang of the “Oneness of Hashem” and songs that touched everyone’s soul. Such performers included the incomparable singer Yaakov Shwekey as well as Etan Katz and other Chassidic singers and musicians.

At the conclusion of the thrilling evening, the community raised over $2.5 million for the Shaare Tzion Torah Center and its expansive programs geared for those who take Torah learning seriously.

The highlight of the evening arrived when the community bestowed a well deserved honor to Dr. Victor Fariwa, a beloved family physician who has literally devoted his life to attending to the medical needs of those who seek his help.

Having arrived to New York City from his native Damascus in Syria, Dr. Fariwa’s patients included kings, princes and varied statesmen as his sterling reputation as an outstanding diagnostician and medical provider spread far and wide. Throngs of people traveled from different countries to seek his help.  Upon arriving on these shores, Dr. Fariwa was determined to learn English and to retrain himself in the medical education required to practice. He pursued this relentlessly at the age of 60 and opened his practice, located on Avenue U and East 3rd Street in 2001.

Dr. Fariwa was presented with the prestigious “Community Commitment Award”  at the gathering.

In a magnificent video presentation in which Dr. Fariwa’s family and his beloved community members took the opportunity to express their profound appreciation and sincere gratitude to him for his years of dedicated commitment to them and all those they love.

“He is constantly thinking of everyone else, there is no  him“ said Jack Bracha, the son-in-law of Dr. Fariwa.  He added, “He works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no Shabbat. No Yom Kippur.  For Dr. Fariwa, everything is about helping his patients.”

“Dr. Fariwa loves what he does, he really dedicated and devoted his life to helping the people,” said another son-in-law. “He really cares about the patients. There is nothing else you can say. He really cares about the people.”

Rabbi Meir Yedid said, “There is no end to what Dr. Fariwa will do to help people in need. The time is way too short to describe what this man means to the community. The heroic part of Dr. Fariwa may not be what we see him doing day to day. He works 18 hours a day.”

“Years ago, Dr. Fariwa used to drive to the hospitals to see his patients and then head to the office where he would have a full schedule of patients to see, “ said his son-in-law.

Isaac Fariwa said of his father, “If you need him at 2 in the morning, he is there. He has such an indescribable passion for what he is doing and he loves everyone that comes to him.”

“You hear the stories about what it was like in Damascus, with people lining up in front of his office to see him,” said Jack Sardar.

“They come because they trust him. He really does his best, from his heart. That’s why people love him, said Isaac Fariwa.

“You walk into that office and you come out feeling better mentally and physically,” said Rabbi Joey Haber

“He’s available to everyone, whether it be a holiday, Rosh HaShana, Pesach, no matter the day and time,” said Isaac Haber.

“As a family person he is very, very passionate. All he cares about is if his family are happy.  All he does is for his family. Not for himself. He loves my kids and they love him,” Dr. Fariwa’s son-in-law said.

“ My mother is just as dedicated as my father.   For her to do what she is doing is also an accomplishment, “ said Dr. Fariwa’s son.

My mother in law is side by side with him in every moment and in every step. Dr. Fariwa lives with Hashem. He knows it is not him. He is a shaliach doing his job and it’s a G-dly job, “ said Jack Bracha.

“Dr. Fariwa, G-d bless you,” said Richie Dweck.” No one in this community deserves this honor better than you.”

Charles Saffati said of Dr. Fariwa, “We love you. Your compassion that you show to my family and to the community is amazing. Thank you for taking care of all of us.”

“We wish you long life, health, happiness, and prosperity forever to you and your family,” said Hank Dweck.

“I love you and want to thank you for all the magnificent years and all the beautiful things that you have done for me and for my family, “ said Michael Betesh. James Haddad said to Dr. Fariwa,  “You should live to be 120. We love you and in good health.”

Jerry Harary said,  “You ‘ve done nothing but show love for our community and in turn we love you.” Rabbi Isaac Yedid said, “Thank you for all that you are doing each and every day for our family, for our community and for all of Am Yisroel.”

Rabbi Joey Haber said, “On behalf of the entire community, Dr. Fariwa, you are a true gift that we are eternally grateful for. We can never thank you enough for all you do and for the wonderful person that you are.”

Rabbi David Ozeri said, “Doctor, we have never ever met a person like you.  Your compassion and love that you put in to curing a patient is beyond remarkable. The amazing diagnostician that you are. The siyata d’shmaya that you have, it is incredible.”

Also during the award presentation, other members of the community recalled what Dr. Fariwa had done for them and their families as well as the entire community.

One person said, “There is no one too young or too old to come and see Dr. Fariwa. He knows that the power of healing comes from Hashem and that is what makes him into the living inspiration that he is.”

Another person said, “Dr. Fariwa is not a man of a lot of words. His hands and his mind do his holy work. He sees no value in money or amassing a fortune. He takes patients irrespective of how or if they can pay.”

Community leader Harry Adjmi also informed those assembled at the event that he just learned that this summer, Dr. Fariwa will be living in the house across the street from him in Deal, New Jersey. “I am thrilled to be neighbors with Dr. Fariwa and his family and may we spend many, many summers together in the best of health.”

In Dr. Fariwa’s honor, Mr. Adjmi donated $18,000 to the Shaare Tzion Torah Center and the doctor’s family donated $40,000.

Upon departing from the event, another person said, “Dr. Fariwa is definitely the backbone of our community and every moment of every day he sets an example to all of us and that example is freely and unselfishly giving to other and doing for others.  And that, above all else is our job are Torah Jews.”